Carrying Bag with Expandable Volume

ABSTRACT

This invention is directed toward a carrying bag, suitable for carrying one or more fragile items for which a snug fit in the bag is desirable. The bag has a single zipper that extends down one side and across the bottom, and the two halves of the zipper are connected with a pleat, which expands the volume of the bag when it is unzipped. In the middle of the bag is a baffle that rests on one side of the bag when it is in its single-bottle configuration, but separates two items when the bag is in its two-bottle configuration. The bag has a hand loop and a shoulder strap for ease of carrying, several zippered pockets for storage, and a cinch toggle drawstring around the top of the bag for easy and adjustable closure.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority back to U.S. Provisional Applications No. 62/890,588, filed Aug. 22, 2019, and No. 62/898,609, filed Sep. 11, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated by reference into this utility application.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

This invention was not federally sponsored.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the general field of containers, and more specifically to a carrying bag that can be expanded through use of a novel zipper arrangement to dramatically increase its carrying capacity.

Brief Description of Invention

The carrying bag has a closed bottom, a circular side portion, and an open top. It has a number of useful features, including a hand strap, a shoulder strap, several zippered pockets, and an interior which can be used to carry one or more items such as bottles of wine. A side zipper extends from the top of the container down the side and across the bottom, with a pleat of material allowing for expansion of the bag as the zipper is unzipped. Because of the size and design of the pleat, the volume of the bag can be doubled upon unzipping the zipper. A baffle in the middle of the bag allows a user to place two items in the bag such the baffle prevents them from knocking into the other as the bag is carried.

Carrying items has long been a challenge, particularly when trying to carry more than one item where the containers are likely to break when they are made of a fragile material such as glass. There are containers made to carry one item and containers designed to carry two items, but another challenge has been to create a carrying bag that can snugly carry one or two items. For example, there existing containers that easily fit one wine bottle, but are not large enough for two. There also exist carrying bags for two wine bottles, but the user is hard-pressed to compress this “double bag” into a bag than snugly fits a single bottle. However, a carrying bag that can effectively and easily transform from a single bottle bag to a double bottle bag and back again—and snugly and securely retain the bottles without allowing them to hit each other during jostling of the bag such that they may break—is not known in the art.

The current invention provides just such a solution by having providing a bag that can effectively and easily morph from a single-bottle bag to a two-bottle bag, without endangering the bottles in the two-bottle version by clunking together, or by holding the bottle in the one-bottle version too loosely. The zipper along the sides and bottom allow the user to quickly double the volume of the bag for the two-bottle version, where a pleat that connects the two halves of the zipper expands the volume. A baffle in the bag lays to one side with the one-bottle version, and yet lies between the two bottles in the two-bottle version, protecting the bottles from hitting each other. A shoulder strap and a hand strap provide two means by which the bag can be carried, and several zippered pockets allow for storage of accessories and other small items. The hand strap on the side allows a user to easily and securely grip the bag allowing for easy drinking from a bottle or container in the bag. A cord running through a cavity around the top of the bag can be tightened or loosened easily with a toggle. The invention also allows the user to be hands-free in terms of carrying keys, cell phone, wallet, etc.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a bag capable of snugly and safely carrying one or two breakable bottles through the use of a zipper attached to a pleat.

An additional object of the invention includes providing several handles allowing a user to comfortably carry the bag and drink from a container housed within the bag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a baffle that lies to one side of the bottle in a single-bottle configuration, and in between two bottles in the two-bottle configuration.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a carrying bag that can be carried by hand, over a shoulder, or in a cross-body arrangement.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter, and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. The features listed herein, and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

It should be understood that while the preferred embodiments of the invention are described in some detail herein, the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that variations and changes thereto are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as my invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a top, perspective view of a carrying bag, with the expansion zipper in a closed (one bottle) position.

FIG. 2 is a top, perspective view of a carrying bag, with the expansion zipper in an open (two bottles) position.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a carrying bag

FIG. 4 is an opposite side view of a carrying bag

FIG. 5 is a front view of a carrying bag

FIG. 6 is a back view of a carrying bag

FIG. 7 is a top view of a carrying bag showing the zipper in an open position, emphasizing the location of the pleat and the baffle.

FIG. 8 is a top view of a carrying bag showing the zipper in a closed position, emphasizing the location of the pleat and the baffle, in this case, an accordion baffle.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the carrying strap.

FIG. 10 is a top view of a carrying bag showing the zipper in closed position, emphasizing the location of the baffle.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the bag.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with references made to the drawings below. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed upon clearly illustrating the components of the present invention. Moreover, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts through the several views in the drawings. Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention are not limited in their application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments of the invention are capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways. In addition, the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

FIG. 1 is a top, perspective view of a carrying bag, with the expansion zipper in a closed (one bottle) position. An expansion zipper 1 allows the bag to be converted from a one-container mode to a two-container mode by enlarging or decreasing the size of the top opening 15. The zipper 1 extends completely along the side of the bag and across its bottom. In a preferred embodiment, the zipper extends at least 95% across the bottom of the bag, and in a particularly preferred embodiment, the zipper extends across 100% of the bottom of the bag. The conversion of the bag from a one-container mode to a two-container mode will be shown in additional illustrations. A side pocket 7 allows the user to store various small items such as keys and wallets. The bag has two carrying devices, including a shoulder strap 11 and a side grip handle 9.

FIG. 2 is a top, perspective view of a carrying bag, with the expansion zipper in an open (two bottles) position. In this figure, the zipper 1 has been opened, allowing the pleat 16 to expand the size of the bag and the size of the top opening 15.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a carrying bag, showing the side grip handle 9. The side grip handle 9 has a portion that is configured into a loop, into which a user can insert a hand for easy carrying, and a stitched portion that connects the loop portion to the bag. This figure also shows the side pocket 4 with a small zipper pocket 5, that, similar to the side pocket 7, can be used to store various small items. This figure also shows the bottom 6 of the bag, which is bisected by the zipper (1 in other figures).

FIG. 4 is an opposite side view of a carrying bag, showing the zipper 1 that is in a closed position in this figure, creating a one-container mode. To create the two-container mode, the zipper 1 is unzipped along both the side and the bottom 6 of the bag, allowing the bag to expand.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a carrying bag, showing another view of the side pocket 4 and the small zipper pocket 5. This figure also shows an embodiment of the side grip handle in which there is a loop both above and below the opening of the bag, with a second side grip handle 19 providing a second handle in addition to the side grip handle 9 above the top of the bag.

FIG. 6 is a back view of a carrying bag, showing the drawstring 2 and toggle 3 that can be used to tighten the opening at the top of the bag.

FIG. 7 is a top view of a carrying bag showing the zipper in an open position, emphasizing the location of the pleat and the baffle 12. With the zipper unzipped, the bag is expanded to a two-container mode, and a baffle 12 prevents the containers from rubbing or knocking into each other.

FIG. 8 is a top view of a carrying bag showing the zipper in a closed position, emphasizing the location of the pleat and the baffle, in this case, an accordion baffle 20. The accordion baffle 20 provides an advantage in that in the closed, one-container mode, it can be pushed to one side (as in FIG. 10) to provide additional protection to a single bottle, while in the two-container mode, it serves to protect the bottles or containers from rubbing against one another or knocking together. In a preferred embodiment, the accordion baffle extends from the bottom of the bag all the way to the top opening of the bag. In another preferred embodiment, the accordion baffle extends from the bottom of the bag 7″ up toward the opening of the bag, the remaining opening of the bag is clear of any baffle.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the carrying strap with its comfort shoulder slide 10, which allows a user to comfortably carry the bag either across a shoulder or bandolier style across the body.

FIG. 10 is a top view of a carrying bag showing the zipper 1 in closed position, emphasizing the location of the accordion baffle 20 to provide additional protection to a single bottle or container.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the bag showing the zipper 1 in a closed position, with both a side grip handle 9 and a second side grip handle 19 providing two methods by which the bag can be grasped.

As a general overview of the function of the bag, the bag generally comprises a body portion 13, which has a circular bottom 6, and a cylindrical side, with an open top opening 15. An expansion zipper 1 bisects both the side and the bottom 6. A pleat 16, connects both sides of the expansion zipper 1, such then when the expansion zipper 1 is zipped down the side and across the bottom 6, the pleat 16 expands such that the bag has a much larger volume than when the expansion zipper 1 was in a “zipped up” position.

A baffle 12, bisects the interior of the cylindrical side portion. The baffle 12 is wider than the diameter of the side such that when the expansion zipper is in the “zipped up” configuration, the baffle 12 rests against one side of the interior cavity formed by the side and offers protection to that side of any breakable bottle put in the bag. When the expansion zipper is pulled down along the side and across the bottom of the bag, the diameter of the bag increases such that the diameter of the bag in the expanded configuration is approximately equal to the width of the baffle, such that the baffle bisects the cavity of the bag. The baffle 12 is, preferably, made from a semi-rigid and yet soft cloth, such that if the user stores two breakable bottles 18 in the bag, the baffle keeps the bottles from clunking into each other and breaking.

Around the top opening 15, a section of the material making up the side 14 is stitched back upon itself to create a tunnel 17 through which a drawstring 2 passes, where the diameter of the top opening is determined by how much of the drawstring 2 is pulled through by secured by a toggle 3.

The invention has two major carrying methods including a shoulder strap 18 with a comfort shoulder slide 10, and a side grip handle 9. The shoulder strap 18 allows a user to carry the bag over his/her shoulder. The side grip handle 9 provides not only a second method of carrying the bag, but can also be used as a drinking handle.

The bag additionally comprises pockets into which various accessories can be inserted. These pockets include two side pockets (4 and 7), and two small, zippered pockets (5 and 8). These pockets are optional in another version of the bag in which advertising is placed on the bag.

The material from which the various parts of the bag are made is important to the lightweight and yet strong nature of the bag. The bag has to be light enough to fit comfortably in a purse or backpack, and yet strong enough to hold two bottles of wine or other liquid. The baffle has to be made of a material that can retain its shape even after repeated folding and unfolding.

In a preferred embodiment, the bag comprises a bottom, a side, an expansion zipper, a pleat, a baffle, where the bottom is a circular bottom attached to the side, where the side is a cylindrical side, where by bottom has a bottom diameter and the side has a side diameter, where the side forms a cavity, where the cavity is bounded on a cavity bottom by the bottom and on a cavity side by the side, and where the cavity has a cavity diameter, which is equal or less than the side diameter, where the cavity has a cavity circumference, where the expansion zipper bisects both the circular bottom and the cylindrical side, where the expansion zipper has a first zipper side and a second zipper side, where the zipper can extend 95% or 100% across the bottom of the bag.

It is also contemplated that the bag could have a pleat, such that the pleat has a pleat top, a pleat bottom, and two pleat sides, where one pleat side attaches to the first zipper side and the other pleat side attaches to the second zipper side, and where, when the expansion zipper is in a zipped up position, the side diameter is approximately large enough to snugly contain a single bottle, and when the expansion zipper is a zipped down position, an expanded side diameter is approximately twice the side diameter that occurred when the expansion zipper was in the zipped up position, where the baffle has a baffle top, a baffle bottom, and two baffle sides, a baffle height and a baffle width, where a first baffle side attaches to a first cavity side of the cavity, and the second baffle side attaches to a second cavity side of the cavity, where when the expansion zipper is in the zipped up configuration, a zipped up cavity circumference is equal to approximately twice the baffle width, such that the baffle, when the expansion zipper is in the zipped up configuration, lies along a side of the cavity, and such that when the expansion zipper is in the zipped down configuration, the baffle width is approximately the same as an expanded cavity diameter, such that the baffle bisects the cavity, thereby allowing for a snug two-bottle container, where the cavity is bounded on a cavity top by a top opening, where the top opening is defined by a tunnel, where the tunnel comprises a hollow tunnel through which a drawstring runs, where the drawstring can the tightened and loosened by a toggle, such a top opening diameter can be adjusted by the drawstring and toggle.

The invention also contemplates some combination of a shoulder strap and a side grip handle, where the shoulder strap has a comfort shoulder slide and where the shoulder strap extends from a first clip located on a lower portion of the side to a second clip located on an upper portion of the side, additionally comprising one or more side pockets and one or more small, zippered pockets.

The baffle can have a relaxed shape, including where the relaxed shape is an accordion fold.

It is also contemplated that the side grip handle could additionally comprise a second side grip handle, where the second side grip handle extends at least seven inches down the side of the bag.

It should be understood that while the preferred embodiments of the invention are described in some detail herein, the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that variations and changes thereto are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as my invention.

All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.

REFERENCE NUMBERS USED

-   1. expansion zipper -   2. drawstring -   3. toggle -   4. side pocket (a) -   5. small zipper pocket (a) -   6. bottom -   7. side pocket (b) -   8. (Blank) -   9. side grip handle -   10. comfort shoulder slide -   11. shoulder strap -   12. baffle -   13. body portion -   14. side portion -   15. top opening -   16. pleat -   17. tunnel -   18. bottle -   19. second side grip handle -   20. accordion baffle 

That which is claimed:
 1. A bag for carrying one or two bottles or other containers, consisting of: a bottom, a side, an expansion zipper, a pleat, a baffle, where the bottom is a circular bottom attached to the side, where the side is a cylindrical side, where the bottom has a bottom diameter and the side has a side diameter, where the side forms a cavity, where the cavity is bounded on a cavity bottom by the bottom and on a cavity side by the side, and where the cavity has a cavity diameter, which is equal or less than the side diameter, where the cavity has a cavity circumference, an expansion zipper that bisects both the circular bottom and the cylindrical side, where the expansion zipper has a first zipper side and a second zipper side, where the pleat has a pleat top, a pleat bottom, and two pleat sides, where one pleat side attaches to the first zipper side and the other pleat side attaches to the second zipper side, where, when the expansion zipper is in a zipped up position, the side diameter is approximately large enough to snugly contain a single bottle, and when the expansion zipper is a zipped down position, an expanded side diameter is approximately twice the side diameter that occurred when the expansion zipper was in the zipped up position, where the baffle has a baffle top, a baffle bottom, and two baffle sides, a baffle height and a baffle width, where a first baffle side attaches to a first cavity side of the cavity, and the second baffle side attaches to a second cavity side of the cavity, where when the expansion zipper is in the zipped up configuration, a zipped up cavity circumference is equal to approximately twice the baffle width, such that the baffle, when the expansion zipper is in the zipped up configuration, lies along a side of the cavity, and such that when the expansion zipper is in the zipped down configuration, the baffle width is approximately the same as an expanded cavity diameter, such that the baffle bisects the cavity, thereby allowing for a snug two-bottle container, where the cavity is bounded on a cavity top by a top opening, where the top opening is defined by a tunnel, where the tunnel comprises a hollow tunnel through which a drawstring runs, where the drawstring can the tightened and loosened by a toggle, such a top opening diameter can be adjusted by the drawstring and toggle, additionally comprising a shoulder strap and a side grip handle, where the shoulder strap has a comfort shoulder slide and where the shoulder strap extends from a first clip located on a lower portion of the side to a second clip located on an upper portion of the side, additionally comprising one or more side pockets and one or more small, zippered pockets.
 2. The bag of claim 1, where the baffle has a relaxed shape, and where the relaxed shape is an accordion fold.
 3. The bag of claim 1, where the zipper extends at least 95% across the bottom.
 4. The bag of claim 3, where the side grip handle additionally comprises a second side grip handle, where the second side grip handle extends at least seven inches down the side of the bag.
 5. A bag for carrying one or two bottles or other containers, comprising: a bottom, a side, an expansion zipper, a pleat, a baffle, where the bottom is a circular bottom attached to the side, where the side is a cylindrical side, where the bottom has a bottom diameter and the side has a side diameter, where the side forms a cavity, where the cavity is bounded on a cavity bottom by the bottom and on a cavity side by the side, and where the cavity has a cavity diameter, which is equal or less than the side diameter, where the cavity has a cavity circumference, an expansion zipper that bisects both the circular bottom and the cylindrical side, where the expansion zipper has a first zipper side and a second zipper side, where the pleat has a pleat top, a pleat bottom, and two pleat sides, where one pleat side attaches to the first zipper side and the other pleat side attaches to the second zipper side.
 6. The bag of claim 5, where, when the expansion zipper is in a zipped up position, the side diameter is approximately large enough to snugly contain a single bottle, and when the expansion zipper is a zipped down position, an expanded side diameter is approximately twice the side diameter that occurred when the expansion zipper was in the zipped up position.
 7. The bag of claim 6, where the zipper extends at least 95% across the bottom.
 8. The bag of claim 6, where the zipper extends 100% across the bottom.
 9. The bag of claim 6, where the baffle has a baffle top, a baffle bottom, and two baffle sides, a baffle height and a baffle width, where a first baffle side attaches to a first cavity side of the cavity, and the second baffle side attaches to a second cavity side of the cavity, where when the expansion zipper is in the zipped up configuration, a zipped up cavity circumference is equal to approximately twice the baffle width, such that the baffle, when the expansion zipper is in the zipped up configuration, lies along a side of the cavity, and such that when the expansion zipper is in the zipped down configuration, the baffle width is approximately the same as an expanded cavity diameter, such that the baffle bisects the cavity, thereby allowing for a snug two-bottle container.
 10. The bag of claim 9, where the zipper extends 100% across the bottom.
 11. The bag of claim 10, where the cavity is bounded on a cavity top by a top opening.
 12. The bag of claim 11, where the top opening is defined by a tunnel, where the tunnel comprises a hollow tunnel through which a drawstring runs, where the drawstring can be tightened and loosened by a toggle, such that a top opening diameter can be adjusted by the drawstring and toggle.
 13. The bag of claim 12, additionally comprising a shoulder strap and a side grip handle, where the shoulder strap has a comfort shoulder slide and where the shoulder strap extends from a first clip located on a lower portion of the side to a second clip located on an upper portion of the side.
 14. The bag of claim 13, additionally comprising a second side grip handle.
 15. The bag of claim 13, where the second side grip handle extends at least seven inches down the side of the bag.
 16. The bag of claim 13, additionally comprising one or more side pockets and one or more small, zippered pockets.
 17. The bag of claim 16, where the baffle has a relaxed shape, and where the relaxed shape is an accordion baffle.
 18. The bag of claim 17, where the accordion baffle extends from the bottom of the bag all the way to the top opening of the bag.
 19. The bag of claim 17, where the accordion baffle extends from the bottom of the bag a length of seven inches up toward the opening of the bag.
 20. The bag of claim 19, where the accordion baffle has a minimum of four folds. 